Nigerian Mental Health Nurse Dies of COVID-19 in UK


Posted on: Sat 20-02-2021

For 10 years, Nigeria-born Oronsaye Okhomina,studied hard day and night ,to qualify as a  registered mental health nurse in the United Kingdom (UK). In those ten years he was a student nurse and mental health support worker.

His long awaited final examination then came in December 2020. The 56 year old gave it all his best,eagerly looking forward to the day he would join the rank of registered  mental health nurses at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust.

It was not to be. Early last month,the father of four also known as Jeff or Orons, got infected with Covid-19. He went into coma at North Manchester General Hospital early last month. He was in that state when the results  of his examination and his Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) PIN were released.

He  died on February 11,the 12th Nigeria born health worker  in the UK to fall victim of the pandemic. Okhomina was born in Benin and  moved to the Netherlands in 1990 before switching to the UK in 2005.

He had a degree in Information Technology Management and then a masters in Industrial Technology at the University of Bradford, but traded in a career in the industry to help mental health patients,according to The Daily Mail.

His wife Esther said “he had worked so hard” but his life was “snatched away”. She added:”He was my everything.Without him I felt breathless, my solid rock, always standing by through thick and thin, always my source of inspiration, my God on earth.

“If there was one thing Oronsaye looked forward to, it was the day he will start working as a qualified nurse. “But after he had fulfilled all the requirements and received his final results… which he worked so hard for with all his strength and will… he never had the opportunity to practice as a qualified nurse for even one day.

“The cold hands of death snatched him away from us all.” The couple had four children-Eseh(22), Owen (18), Joshua (four), and two-year-old Jayden. Babajide Lawal-Shekoni, who knew Mr Okhomina for 16 years  said:  “I think I was one of the last people he spoke with before he was taken to the hospital.

“We would always check up on each other every few days. If I’m down he’d pick me up… I know he was that kind of person to a lot of people as well. “He said ‘I’m not feeling too well’ so I told him to call the ambulance, and that was it… there was no time.”

Asked how Mr Okhomina should be remembered, Mr Lawal-Shekoni said: “He was always willing to help everybody, even when he didn’t have anything. “He was a fun person – there was never a dull moment – a bubbly character. I miss him a lot.”

Mr Lawal-Shekoni, a civil and structural engineer, said “fallen heroes” of the NHS such as his friend Mr Okhomina should be honoured through plaques and similar tributes following the pandemic. Other Nigeria born health workers listed by the Mail as having been killed by Covid-19 are:

Linda Obiageli Udeagbala, nurse

Linda Obiageli Udeagbala, a nurse from Croydon, inspired almost her entire family to work for the NHS.

Mrs Udeagbala, who died on February 3 at the age of 60, is survived by her husband of 40 years, Francis, a psychiatric nurse, and five adult children – four of whom work in the health service.

Son Colin Udeagbala said: “That’s what she wanted for all of us, to study medicine or study nursing… to help people. She instilled in us to care for others and that’s it’s not just a job. She was just a wonderful lady, always going above and beyond for others.”

Augustine Obaro, GP

Dr Obaro, 63, died on January 1 after years of service working as a GP at Addison Road Medical Practice in Walthamstow, London.

A father of four, Dr Obaro moved to the UK in 1999 from Nigeria and Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group said he will be “sadly missed”.

Andrew Ekene Nwankwo, nurse

Andrew Ekene Nwankwo, who worked as a locum nurse at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, died with coronavirus on May 16 aged 46.

Onyenachi Obasi, nurse and health visitor

Onyenachi Obasi, 51, was living in Barking and Dagenham at the time of her death.

She was described by her family as an “example of unconditional love” and died on May 6, five weeks after being put on a ventilator.

Cecilia Fashanu, nurse

She was described by her family as “our superwoman” following her death.

She died at her workplace, Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, on April 30 after receiving critical care for a number of weeks.

The 63-year-old was employed as an agency nurse, covering shifts on a number of wards over the last two years.

Adekunle Enitan, intensive care nurse

The “kind and cheery” father-of-two died in hospital on April 24 after being cared for by the team at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent, with whom he had worked for five years.

Eyitolami Olaolorun, paediatric nurse

The mother-of-four’s death was announced by her family on April 23.

In a tribute on GoFundMe, her children said: “She was an excellent paediatric nurse with 40 years of experience.

“She was caring and compassionate towards all her patients and their families, so much so, that some of them have become part of our extended family.”


 

Ade Dickson, mental health nurse

Mr. Dickson had been working in the Barnet Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team at the time of his death.

The Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, which announced his death, said: “Ade was a highly respected colleague who will be deeply missed by his family, friends, Trust staff and patients.”

Esther Akinsanya, nurse

The nurse and grandmother was working on the front line at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London before her death on the evening of April 15, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust confirmed.

Ms Akinsanya, 55, had been a nurse for the NHS for more than 20 years along with her older sister, Mary Idowu, who has also been fighting Covid-19 and has been in a coma in recent weeks.

Her son Samuel said: “My mother is an angel in human form.

“She was a people’s person, always available to stretch herself thin to help in any way, shape or form. She would sacrifice to ensure you were whole, nothing was half-hearted.”

Dr Edmond Adedeji, doctor

The 62-year-old worked as a locum registrar in the emergency department of Great Western Hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire, and died “doing a job he loved” on April 8.

Ibilola Aladejana, hospital receptionist

Known as Lola, the “much-loved” Mrs Aladejana was an agency worker who had been at University College Hospital for four years, most recently as a receptionist.

The mother-of-three died on April 4 due to complications of Covid-19, according to a GoFundMe page set up by her husband Ayodele Aladejana.

Source: nation